These cleaning tips will simplify your holiday entertaining

When it comes to preparing your home for the holiday season, there are, of course, the basics: adding décor and lights and setting up the staple festive items. But there's also a lot of behind-the-scenes prep that goes into getting your home ready for holiday gatherings, dinners, and more. From avoiding last-minute laundry to refreshing your "good" china, cleaning expert Melissa Maker shared her top tips to help us clean better and faster—because we all want to get our holiday on as soon as possible! 

Plus, watch the video clip above for the ultimate DIY stain remover to eliminate the awkwardness and bad feelings if someone in your family makes a mess. With a few simple materials on hand, you can easily grab your kit and jump into action to remove the stain or pre-treat for a wash layer! 

Avoid last-minute laundry

Getting your space ready for guests, especially if they are staying overnight, means prepping linens, towels, and more. Many of. these items have likely been sitting in your linen closet since last year, so it's important to refresh them! You can plan to do this a week in advance of your guests arriving, plus it's an easy task to check off your to-do list leading up to the big hosting day. 

We're a big fan of the LG WashTower™ because it tasks the guesswork out of wash settings. It uses artificial intelligence to select the optimal wash pattern for what you are washing— from duvets to towels—by sensing the weight and softness of the fabric. Plus, it helps to extend the life of your bedding and linens. The game-changer about this WashTower is the control panel in the center of the stacked set. It displays controls for both the washer and dryer and is perfect for small spaces. It even has an app, the LG ThinQ™, that allows you to remote start your washer or dryer, select a cycle, and even monitor when your laundry will be done!

And don't forget to enter our contest to win an LG WashTower™to make your laundry room dreams come true! 

Refresh your "good" china and stemware

Many of us have special china that we use only during the holidays. There's nothing worse than pulling them out of the cabinet at the last minute to find water spots and stains. If they are dishwasher safe, prep ahead and run them through the 'delicate' cycle or 'china' setting to ensure they're sparkling clean for your dinner party.

Prepare for cleanup

Make it easy for your guests to help with cleanup by clearly identifying places to put garbage, recycling and compost. We all have a friend or family member who is eager to help tidy and clean after a gathering, but they spend most of the time asking you where to put things. Clearly labelled garbage bags or bins take the guesswork out of the cleanup.